Wavendon Voters in the 1784 Election

“An Alphabetical list of the names of the several persons who voted at the election of Knights of the Shire, for the county of Buckingham, at the County Court of Richard Scrimshire, Esq; Sheriff of the said County, held at Aylesbury, on Wednesday the 21st day of April, 1784, and from thence by diverse adjournments to Thursday the 6th day of May following.

Containing the Places of their respective Freeholds and Abodes, and distinguishing the Candidate or Candidates they respectively polled for, to which is added a general State of the Number of Votes for each Candidate at the Close of the Poll. The Whole carefully examined with an authentic. Copy of the Sherriff’s Pollbook. Aylesbury: Printed and sold by W. Nicholls, in the Year 1785″

Grenville and Verney were both Whigs. In 1784, Verney was already in the seat, but Grenville won at this election. Aubrey came second. Verney retook the seat at the next election in June 1790, and Grenville came second. The seat transferred to James Grenville in further elections in December 1790.

Voters preferences were less secret in those days. Tenants of the large landholders generally voted for who they were told to!

The candidates were:

The Right Honourable Ralph Earl Verney, of the Kingdom of Ireland.
The Right Honourable William Wyndham Grenville.
John Aubrey, Esquire.